Self Care by Sarah Wise

Professional Takeaway

sarahpwise — 2025-03-26 19:19:58 UTC

The biggest thing I took from the reading is how important self-care is and how high the risk is for burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma among counselors. I also learned, however, that there are definitely things that counselors can do to help avoid these situations, and being aware of these risks allows counselors to work to avoid them.

Importance of Self Care

sarahpwise — 2025-03-26 19:22:18 UTC

Self-care is incredibly important for everyone, but especially those working in a counseling/mental health/ helping field. Those who work in this sort of job give of themselves all day every day. If they don't participate in self-care routines, they will quickly become depleted, which hurts themselves as well as those they are trying to help. You can't pour from an empty bucket.

Personal Self-care strategies

sarahpwise — 2025-03-26 19:26:04 UTC

There are many ways to practice self-care. Two ways that I specifically plan to work on practicing self care are regular exercise and setting boundaries.

I will work to prioritize exercise, especially walking outside. My goal is to exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Taking this time for myself will allow me to decompress.

I will also work to set boundaries. I'm a "yes" person and I'm bad at asking for help. I will work to say "no" when I need to. I will also work to ask for help or delegate tasks when I can so that my load is not too heavy.

sarahpwise — 2025-03-26 19:32:55 UTC

I enjoy cycling when I can. I try to walk outside daily, but I also try to bike a few times a month as well.